A 19-year-old woman who reportedly recorded herself assaulting her six-month-old son has been charged with cruelty to a child.
JNN is facing accusations of willfully subjecting the infant to cruel punishment by physically assaulting and abusing him at their residence in Mathare Sub-County, Nairobi, on July 13.
The offense is in violation of Section 18 (1) as stipulated in conjunction with Section 20 of the Children’s Act, 2001.
In the viral clip, the suspect can be seen verbally abusing the baby and purportedly physically assaulting him. The footage shows the young mother assaulting the child while dressing him following a bath.
The woman is then said to have shared the video with the child’s father before posting it on social media.
After coming across the video on Instagram, the incident was reported to an official from a children’s rights group in Mathare. The NGO official subsequently notified the police about the matter.
With the assistance of community members who were familiar with the accused, the police and the NGO worker were able to identify the suspect’s residence in the area. However, she managed to escape before being arrested.
Police officers later tracked her down and arrested her after she returned home.
Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Monica Kivuti at the Makadara Magistrate’s Court, the suspect denied the charges. She pleaded for lenient bond terms.
The court, however, ordered her to be remanded until July 31, awaiting a pre-trial report before any bail conditions are determined.
The case is scheduled for a mention on September 19, with the trial set to commence on January 25, 2024.
Meanwhile, the child has been placed in a children’s home, and measures have been taken to preserve the video as evidence in the case against the accused.
